This article presents the results of crop yield in areas with different technologies of cultivation based on the network of automatic stations that provide data on climatic and soil-hydrological monitoring in the dry steppe during the vegetation period of May–September 2013–2016 . These data  on regional ecological and climatic parameters are of great interest to the ecologists, plant physiologists, and farmers working in the Kulunda Plain (Altai Territory). We compared the following options for cropping technologies: the modern system, which is the "no-till", technology without autumn tillage;the intensive technology of deep autumn tillage by plough PG-3-5 at a depth of 22–24 cm. Cultivation of crops was carried out using the following scheme of crop rotation: the modern system: 1–2–3–4 (wheat – peas – wheat – rape); the intensive system: 5/6 – 7/8 – 9/10 (fallow – wheat – wheat). We believe that the use of modern technology in these conditions is better due to exchange between the different layers of soil. When  the ordinary Soviet system , the so-called "plow sole" , was used , at a depth of 24 cm , we observed that this creates a water conductivity barrier that seems to preclude the possibility of lifting water from the lower horizons. Results of the study of infiltration of soil moisture at the depth of 30 and 60 cm  have shown in some years the advantages of the modern technology over the ordinary Soviet system: in the version with the use of modern technology we can trace better exchange between the various horizons and , probably,  moisture replenishment from the lower horizons. Differences in individual observation periods are comparatively large due to the redistribution of soil moisture, depending on the weather conditions, the crops used in the crop rotations, and cultivation techniques. Moreover, the average moisture reserves within the one meter layer did not show any significant differences during the growing seasons of 2013–2016 . In terms of soil moisture usage and productive grain yield according to the four year experiment, the application of the modern technology with crop rotation "wheat – rape – wheat – peas" was more effective than the ordinary Soviet system with crop rotation "wheat – fallow – wheat – wheat". The four-year observation period is clearly insufficient to identify the advantages of the modern system, as during this time it is impossible to significantly improve soil quality indicators, which will continue to determine its water-retaining properties and moisture accumulation.

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The long-term field experience has been carried out in the LLC Farm Enterprise “Partner”, Mikhailovsky District of the Altai Region, one of the basic sites of the “Kulunda” project. The field experience was founded in 2013, implemented over the next four years in a similar way; the alternation of crops was carried out in accordance to the crop rotation. In total, there were four sets of experiments in eight variants in triple number of replications. There were four variants of row spacing implemented: 25.0 cm, 33.3 cm, 37.5 cm, and 50.0 cm. We also used two seeding rates for every crop: spring wheat - 75 and 120 kg/ha; rapeseed – 2 and 4 kg/ha; peas – 140 and 180 kg/ha. The sowing was made with an expimental grain seeder “Cornor-DMC” with chisel-shaped copying coulters, the “Amazone” company production. Combine harvesters “Lexion” (peas and rapeseed) and “Sampo” (wheat) carried out harvesting in August-September. As an object of research, the technological process of cultivation of agricultural crops in the crop rotation of spring wheat–pea–spring wheat–rape was considered. The influence of the row spacing and the seeding rate on the yield was evaluated. An increase in row spacing from 25 cm to 50 cm leads to an almost linear decrease in the yield of crops. The increasing of the seeding rate in the studied limits leads to the yield enhancement. The obtained data will allow substantiating the rational row spacing, design of the sowing complex and seeding rate. This is extremely important for introducing the “No-Till” technology in the arid steppe of the Altai Region.

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